Car truck



.May 5, 11931.

H. W. ALDEN ET AL CAR TRUCK Filed Deo., 5, 1927 s shams-:sheet 1 lellmvn mu. M.;

H. W. ALDEN ET AL Filed Dc. 5, 1927 s sheets-sheet, 2

May 5, 1931.

GAR TRUCK Filed DeC.

5 Sheets-Sheet, 3

Patented May 5, 1931 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE HEEEEET w. ALDEN AND NELsoN E. BEOWNYEE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssI'GNoEs To TEE TmrxEN-DETBoIT'AxLE COMPANY, or DETROIT, MrcnIeAN, AcoEroEA- TION' OF OHIO CAR TRUCK Application filed December 5, 192'?. Serial No. 237,720.

This invention relates to trucks2 especially street car trucks. Some ofits prlncipal objects are to minimize andgto deaden noise. It consists principally 5 in providing the truck `with underslung springs as hereinafter described and claimed. AIt also consists in the parts and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. f In the accompanying drawing,` which forms part of this specification and wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan `-view of the truck conforming to our invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical view, being a AlongitudinaLse'ction on the line 2 2. of Fig. 1 anishowing most of the parts in elevation,

a truck spring, f 4 Fig. 4 .'s an end view of an end spring support,. f f A Fig. 5 is a detail cross section on the line 5 5 end fitting to the side fitting; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating the mounting of the inner ends of the truck springs, Fig. 6 being a partly side .30 lelevation and partly longitudinal section, Fig. 7 being the cross section on thel line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 being a cross section onthe line 8-8 of Fig. 6. I. The present truck comprises side frames 1 ri `dly connected together about midway of t eir length by a bolster 2 and at their ends by end members 3. It also comprises axle housings 4, springs 5 forholding said axle housings inproper relation to the truck frame, anda live axle 6 in each housing together with rail wheels 7 ixed on each axle.

s, Each truck side frame 1 is preferably made in a single piece, either as a casting or In .the -designl preferably of pressed steel. illustrated in the drawing-the middle portion of the side frame 1` is of maximum depth midway of its length and decreases towards cach end, being flanged at both top and bottom throughout its length to increase its strength. Throughout its middle jarring and `]olting,'

\ center lines of the axles.

g. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view.` 20, illustratingthe support for the outer end of of Fig. 3, showing the relation of the lspace for deep truck and body holsters.

The bottom of the middle portion of the side frame is close to the line that joins the From this middle portion, the truck side frame inclines up wardly to a maximum height above the axle and thence beyond and downwardly below the level of the axle at each end of said frame. Each end of the side frames l is provided with a tting 8 or is otherwise adapted to receive the outer ends of the supporting springs 5; a middle portion of each side frame is provided with a fitting 10 that /is rigidly secured thereto and depends therefrom and is adapted to receive the inner ends of the 4supporting springs 5. These springs 5 are leaf-springs of common type and are shackled against the bottom of the axle housing.

Each leaf-spring 5 is about half the length of the side frame and has one end mounted at one end of the side frameand the other end mounted near the middle of the side frame. The, fittings 8 at the ends of the side frame have a shank portion l1 of substantially the same cross section as the end portion of the side frame against which they iit and to which they are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured., .The projecting portions of these end fittings are in the form of housings or chambers 12 that o en downwardly to form a hollow chamber t\ at 4is closed by a cap or closure plate 13 secured to the bottom of said fitting by cap screws 14 0r like devices. In the interior of the top of the housing or Ychamber and also on the interior of the closure cap forming the bottom of said chamber are transversely extending ribs 15 spaced from the front and back walls of said housing. Bloclfs 16 of rubber ,or other suitable resilient material are mounted between `these ribs on the upper and `lower -sides o f\ the 95' leaf spring, which projectsv into said housing through an opening `17 provided therefor in the inner wall thereof, t at is, in the back wall of the front housing and the front wall of the -back housing. The end of the leaf 10 spring has, riveted or otherwise secured thereto a member 18 that is I-sha ed in section and of such size that the rub r blocks will lie between and bear against the iianges thereof. 7

The fitting 10 at the middle of the side frame is illustrated indetail in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings. The upper portion of this fitting is of angular shape with a vertical portion 19 that is riveted or otherwise secured' to the side frame and with an inwardly projecting lower portion that extends under the side frame. This tting is provided with two chambers 20 adapted to receive rubbery blocks 21 that support the inner ends of the front and rear springs respectively. Each of these chambers is in the form of a housing open at the bottom and with an opening 210i in its outer wall adapted to receive the end of the spring. The bottom opening is covered by a cap or closure plate 22 secured by cap screws 23 or the like. The end of the spring has a member 24 riveted thereto whose end is enlarged around the bent end of the spring, thus forming a large bearin surface. In each chamber is a block 25 o rubber, preferably a single piece, with a recess in its middle to receive the end of the leaf spring but otherwise filling the recess in the housing and being laced under compression by the p'essure -o the screws that hold the closure ate. p In the case of theend fittings, the blocks of rubber are wholly above and below the spring and do not reach the end walls of thel chamber; and in consequence of this' arrangement, the adjacent ends of the springs are free to move endwise toa limited extent in said ttings, thereby permitting the axle housin to roll or rock in accommodating themse ves to torsional stresses due to stopping and starting of the car. In the case of the housings at the middle of 4the side frames, however, the recesses are completely filled with the rubber, and the leaf springs have very little or no capacity for moving endwise therein. The principal reason for this diference is to better enable the truck to ride over obstructions without materially deiiecting the axle from its proper position at right angles t'o the track, to (maintain a proper spacing of the two axle housings with relation to each other.

As this truck is especially designed for an underhung worm drive wherein the propeller shaft makes an angle with the ground, it is advantageous to mount the axle housing with its bottom tilted at substantially the same angle to the ground as that made by the propeller shaft, as this arrangement makes it feasible to use with an underhung worm drive the same axle housing of polygonal section that can be used with other types of drives. With pressed-steel axle 4 ceive said bolts.

housings, this arrangement is effected by means of a saddle plate or block 26 which is mounted on the top of the axle housing with its bottom inclined to rest flatwise against the inclined top of an axle housing and with depending ,shoulders that fit against the sides of the housing and with its ends f rolonged and formed with lvertical per orations therethrough for clamping bolts 27. The top of this saddle block is recessed to receive a block 28 of wood or other soft material suitable for receiving and deadening the impact of the side .frame thereon. Another saddle block 29 with side flanges is seated on the top of the leaf spring and has its top surface inclined and shouldered to fit against the bottom and sides of the housing. Its ends are also extended and provided with vertical perforations to receive said locking bolts. With housings of cast metal, the plates 26 and 29 may be dispensed with and lugs cast on the housing in lieu of said plates. A third saddle block 30 fits under the spring and is perforated to re- Nuts 31 are threaded on the lower threaded ends ofsaid bolts and serve to clamp the severalparts iiimly together. It is noted that the inclination of the bottom of the housing is upwardly from the end of the side frame toward the middle thereof. n

What we claim is:

1. A street car `truck comprising side frames, straight leaf springs, axle housings against the bottom of which the middle portions of said springs are secured, said side frames having. at their middle and ends hollow fittings that extend below the axle housings and contain blocks of rubber or the like that are adapted to receive the ends of said springs, the middle fittings each containing two chambers and the blocks in said chambers forming abutments for the adjacent ends of` said springs and the blocks in the end fittings being above and below the springs and having space opposite the ends of said springs to permit endwise play of the adjacent ends of saidsprings.

2. A street car truck comprising side frames, substantially horizontal leaf springs of about one-half the length of said side frames whose inner ends are supported from the middle portion of the side frames and whose outer ends are movably supported at the ends of said side frames, axle housings and means for securing the middle portions of said springs against ,the bottoms of said housings, said means comprising a saddle block tting against the top of a housing and having an impact block in the top thereof adapted to for clamping said blocks together.

a third block below the spring and means 3. A street car truck comprisin side frames, a bolster rigidly7 secured t ereto substantially horizontal leaf springs of about one-half the length of said side frames whose inner ends a're supported, from the middle portion of theside frames and whose outer ends are movably supported at the lends of said side frames, axle housings of polygonal cross section with the bottom .surface/inclined to the ground, and meansy the middle portions of said for scurin springs against the vbottoms of said housings, said means comprising a saddle block fitting against the top' of ahousin a` second saddle block fitting against the ottomf the housing and straddling'the spring and a third block below the spring and means for clamping said blocks together.

4I A street car truck comprising axle housings having axles therein, side frames each having' a spring N supporting fittingy mounted at its middle portion and extendv ing below vsaid axles and spring supporting fittings at its ends extending below said axles, ap roximately horizontal leaf springs z of about alf the length of said side frames, said springs having their adjacent ends and means for securing the middle portions supported in/ the middle itting and their outer ends ysupported in said endl fittings,

of said springs against the bottoms. of said housin s, said means comprising a saddle block tting against the top of a housing, a second saddle block itting against the bottom of the housing and straddling the spring y and a third block below the sprin and means for clamping said blocks toget er.

Signed at-Detroit, Michigan, this 29th day-of November, 1927.

HERBERT W. ALDEN. 'NELSON BROWNYER. 

